Drink driver caught almost four times legal limit avoids jail

Drink driver, 33, who was caught while almost four times legal limit avoids jail after claiming her ‘coercive and violent’ boyfriend made her get behind the wheel

• Katie McFadden was seen ‘swerving’ on a duel carriageway near Wythenshawe
• The 33-year-old tested almost four times the alcohol limit when stopped by cops 
• She admitted drink driving at Manchester magistrates court but was spared jail
• McFadden told the court her ‘coercive and violent’ boyfriend made her drive

A woman who tested almost four times the alcohol limit after bingeing on white wine and getting behind the wheel of her BMW has been spared jail after claiming her boyfriend made her drive.

Katie McFadden, 33, was pulled over by traffic officers after her 1 series car was seen ‘swerving in and out of lanes’ on a dual carriageway near her home.

Tests showed she had 130 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath. The legal limit is 35mg.

At Manchester magistrates court, McFadden of Wythenshawe faced jail after she admitted drink driving.

But was given a 12 month community order and was banned from the road when she blamed her offending on being in a ‘coercive and violent’ relationship with her boyfriend.

She claimed the unnamed lover had ‘thrown the keys’ at her before getting into the passenger seat and ordered her to drive the car.

She said she had then drive just 200 yards before police spotted her during the incident which has left her ‘mortified’. The couple have since split up.

Katie McFadden (pictured) was pulled over by traffic officers after her BMW car was seen ‘swerving in and out of lanes’ on a dual carriageway near her home in Wythenshaw

The 33-year-old had been bingeing on white wine before her ‘coercive and violent’ boyfriend ‘threw the keys at her’ and made her get behind the wheel, Manchester Magistrates Court heard

The incident occurred at 11.30pm on March 12 this year when officers spotted the BMW being driven erratically along Altrincham Road in Wythenshawe.

Prosecutor Steve Woodman said: ‘The officers noticed had BMW had poor lane discipline and was swerving in and out of lanes. 

She admitted drink driving at Manchester magistrates court (pictured outside the court) but was spared jail after telling the court about her previous relationship 

‘The officers followed the vehicle to a petrol station where they saw it pull up at a cash machine.

‘A male got out and used the cash machine and the police then followed the car for a short distance before using their emergency equipment to pull it over.

‘Miss McFadden was in the driver’s seat and the officers could smell intoxicants on her breath. 

‘She accepted she had drunk a glass of wine earlier that night and failed a roadside breath test. 

‘Miss McFadden has no previous convictions.’

In mitigation defence lawyer Jon Mail told the hearing: ‘She was cooperative with police both at the roadside and at the police station. 

‘She is mortified that she drove while intoxicated and is fully aware of the dangers and consequences of her actions.

‘She is deeply remorseful and ashamed and has lost her good character. At the time, she with in a relationship that was both violent and coercive. The other person in the car was her then boyfriend.

‘She had only driven a matter of 200 yards which she could have walked but he told her to drive and threw the car keys at her. She had other options, but she did drive the vehicle.

‘That relationship is over now. Police are aware of the incident between her ex-partner and Mrs McFadden but she says this is no excuse for her behaviour.

In mitigation defence lawyer Jon Mail told the hearing the incident had been ‘traumatic and very scary’ for McFadden

Manchester Magistrates Court (pictured) heard she was ‘mortified’ by the incident. She was ordered to complete 150 hours unpaid work and pay £95 costs. She was banned from driving for 30 months

‘She is just extremely grateful that nobody was injured. She sold the car straight away. She did not want anything to do with it. ‘

Mr Mail added: ‘She is not working at the moment and gets universal credit of £603 per month but there is an offer of a job which she expects to take up in the next week or so. She doesn’t need a driving license to do that job.

‘This whole incident has been traumatic and very scary for her.’

McFadden was also ordered to complete 150 hours unpaid work and pay £95 costs. She was banned from driving for 30 months.

JP Dario Cottingham told her: ‘The guidelines for such an offence start at a custodial sentence, which you have probably been told. 

‘However, we are taking account of your early guilty plea and everything we’ve been told by Mr Mail.’

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